1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus which is configured to read an image from a manuscript on a contact glass by an image sensor contained in a carriage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as image reading apparatuses, so-called flatbed type image reading apparatuses have been known. Such an image reading apparatus has a contact glass at the upper surface of its main body for setting a manuscript. The image reading apparatus is configured to read an image of the manuscript set on the contact glass by an image sensor provided inside the main body. Then, the image sensor is installed on a carriage which is set to be slidable on a rail provided inside the main body. The image sensor is configured to slide along the rail together with the carriage when reading the image of the manuscript.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-163291 is known as an invention with respect to such image reading apparatuses described above. In the image reading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-163291, the image sensor is placed on the carriage which is slidable along the rail. The image sensor is biased upward toward the contact glass by springs provided between the lower surface of the image sensor and the upper surface of the carriage.
Here, in the image reading apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-163291, the springs are provided between the lower surface of the image sensor and the upper surface of the carriage. Therefore, even if the springs are compressed to the limit, the springs still occupy a certain height. Therefore, the springs which occupy the certain height become an obstacle to the apparatus miniaturization which has been desired in recent years.